She tugged on his ears as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. He took hold of her hand and led her through the ever growing crowd. People parted easily around them, the beat of the music became the pulse that she was missing. She moved closer to Devon and pressed his hand against her stomach as she pulled him back a step.
He turned to her, his head tilted as he studied her. They hadn't danced together since homecoming, since before her grandmother had been killed and everything had been almost normal in her life. She smiled flirtatiously as she tugged him toward the dance floor. He hesitated before slipping his arm around her waist and pulled her out to the floor. She ignored the lecherous stares of the men, and the obvious ogling of the women, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder.
His lips were warm against her neck as he brushed a tender kiss over her skin. A shiver slid down her spine as her hands curved around the hard muscles of his biceps. She spotted Chris dancing with some girl from the bar, and Melissa with a guy that was ogling her like she was a piece of meat he planned on devouring. Melissa seemed to be contemplating the idea of kneeing him in the nuts.
Julian was standing by the bar with a beer in one hand and a shot in the other. He was talking to three women who couldn't have been more overt if they stripped naked. They were all concerned about her, but she wondered what would become of Julian when this was over, or if he would even survive those three women tonight.
"He'll be ok," Devon murmured against her neck.
"How can you be so sure?"
"You're his Annabelle." She pulled back to look at him as he continued to move her gracefully across the floor. "I've been where he is right now Cass, and he'll get through this because he loves you and he's my friend. He's accepted this, it's still tough on him, but he's accepted it."
She felt as if a boulder had been lifted from her shoulders. "I hope you're right."
"I am."
Julian managed to extricate himself from the three succubi and hurried toward the dance floor as the music stopped. He didn't even give the guy dancing with Melissa a chance to protest before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her away. Cassie was struck by how stunning they looked together with his striking pale looks and her dark exotic ones.
"Don't get any ideas," Devon whispered in her ear.
"What?" she inquired innocently.
"Neither of them is ready for that Cassie. I know you feel guilt over Julian, but I never once blamed Annabelle for choosing Liam and he's not blaming you for choosing me. It took me over a hundred years to find you. Don't try to force something that may end up hurting them both."
"I won't," she promised.
She went to drop her head back on his shoulder when it hit her. She froze, a small gasp escaped her as she was sucked into a world that wasn't this one, or at least it wasn't this world yet. But it would be, and soon.
Cassie's hands clenched, she could still feel Devon, but she couldn't see him as the future world rushed up around her. The bar, it was still in this bar, but country music was playing and a woman was singing melodiously. The crowd was the same, the people moved easily and freely about as they enjoyed their night. But there was blood; she could smell it crisply, clearly. It filled her nostrils and caused her mouth to water in response.
Cassie's body jerked as she was ripped back to the present, thrust into a world that was solid and real. "There's something here!"
CHAPTER 12
Devon grasped hold of Cassie's face as she panted rapidly and her eyes became that alien shade of red. Her face was still slack, her eyes dull and glazed, but whatever she'd seen had enticed and aroused the demon inside of her. "What Cassie? What is here?"
She blinked and her eyes focused upon him. "Vampires, they're coming."
The hair on his arms stood up. "The Elders?"
"No, I didn't sense that kind of power. They're out back; they'll find someone to kill if they come in here." He pulled her against him and sheltered her against his side so that no one could see the bright color of her eyes. He parted the sea of bodies between him and the door that the band had arrived through.
A sense of urgency filled him as a woman began to sing a haunting melody that caused Cassie to shudder in response. He was passing the stage just as the backdoor opened. He would never get there in time, not with trying to keep Cassie sheltered from the crowd.
"Julian!" Devon bellowed above the noise of the country song.
Julian nearly blurred as he moved past them. There were a few surprised looks from the people around them, but there was nothing Devon could do about it right now. All he could do was hope that they chalked what they saw tonight up to the alcohol tomorrow. Julian barged through the door and knocked the vampire back before it could enter the building. A surprised shout escaped the vamp, but the sound was quickly cut off by the slamming of the metal door as they disappeared outside.
"Julian!" Cassie cried.
Devon pushed in the metal bar as he flung the door open. He didn't want Cassie out here, but he couldn't leave her amongst the crowd when he didn't know how stable she was. Cold air rushed over them as they stumbled into the night. He was a little surprised to find themselves in a dimly lit parking lot.
"There!" Chris thrust his finger toward the left.
Devon spotted Julian amongst a clutter of cars, fighting with two vampires. "Stay here!" he ordered Cassie.
He released her and rushed across the parking lot to help Julian. He jumped on top of an old Ford and raced across the hood before flinging himself onto one of them. The young male vampire grunted as Devon fell with it onto the pavement. Grasping the back of its head, he smashed its face into the ground. Though he didn't like to admit it, he relished in the sickening crunch of bone, and the reassuring splatter of blood.
Jumping back to his feet, he was just in time to watch Julian smash the much younger vampire's chest in and rip out its heart. It stood in wide eyed surprise for a moment before crumpling to the ground. Devon's shoulders shook as he strived to keep himself under control. The bloodlust was running high, and thrumming wildly through his system as he met Julian's reddened eyes.
"There was another one," Julian growled.
A sense of impending doom settled over him. "Where?"
Julian didn't have to nod, didn't have to show him where, Devon already knew. He turned back toward where he had left Cassie, Chris, and Melissa but they were gone. "Son of a bitch!" Devon exploded.
He ignored the blaring alarms of the cars as he dashed across their hoods in pursuit of his increasingly frustrating mate.